Redemption Squad Prelude: Level Zero
by Snodin
Summary: A mysterious group of inter-dimensional travelers have found the Blue Bomber, at a time when his skills are put to the ultimate test. AU, soon to be a Crossover mini-series. COMPLETE.
1. Awakening

_**.**_

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**-GordanFreeman**

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_**You now have access to the personal files of all members of Project: Redemption. **_

**-Open file #19-871-217**

_**You have selected the personal file of Subject: Rock, alias DLN-001, alias Mega Man.**_

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_**You now have access to all recorded past and present actions regarding Subject: Mega Man, starting from the designated time he was selected by the Council to be recruited into the Redemption Squad. There are currently 27 individual case files concerning Subject: Mega Man.**_

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…

…

"**LEVRL ZERO"**

**A Prelude to "The Redemption Squad"**

**Snodin**

**.**

**Part 1**

.

_Mega City, sometime in the year 20XX._

Every year, since the first robots were introduced nearly three decades ago, scientists from all over the world would gather in the city's convention center to celebrate the annual Science and Robotics Fair. Normally, only five to ten robots would be introduced to the public during this event; however, this year's fair was exceptional. This year, as many as twenty-five robots alone were entered- a new record for the convention. So it wasn't a surprise to anyone that celebrities and public officials alike would also make guest appearances. The media was having a field day.

Red carpets rolled out at the main gateways of the convention center, almost as though it were a night of the Academy Awards. Cameras were flashing as limousines were rolling down the driveway, while onlookers watched with bated breath for a glance of their favorite icons.

One icon in particular was on everyone's mind, and no one was quite certain when he would show up. Surely he would step out from one of the many limos, right? That's what some of his fans thought, anyway. But no, this guest star showed up almost completely unrecognizable, and it was because he wasn't wearing his signature blue armor. Instead, a young blue-eyed boy about age twelve showed up in a small white car driven by a green square-bodied robot named Auto. The boy was wearing a casual blue tee-shirt with white sleeves, denim jean pants and white sneakers, with dark brown hair that would forever remain untamed. He stepped out from the backseat, followed by his sister- a young blue-eyed girl in a red dress with black sleeves, a white top, and long red boots. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, held together by a long green bow.

Stepping out of the passenger's seat was the would-be father of these children, Doctor Thomas Light. Everyone recognized him right off the bat- his chubby figure and fluffy white beard would make one believe that he could replace Santa Claus. Dressed in his typical white lab coat (underneath a brown dress suit and black necktie), he made his way to the front gate of the building. There was no doubt about it now, everyone's favorite robot was about to show up… well actually, he already had.

"Doctor Light, Doctor Light?" asked the reporters as the family walked the red carpet. "Where's Mega Man? Where is he? Is he going to show up? When? Doctor Light?"

"Rock," elbowed the boy's sister. "I think they all want a picture of you."

The boy blushed meekly. "Why me? I'm not the star of this event."

"But you're famous now. Come on, show 'em your armor."

The boy looked to his guardian for advice. Dr. Light gave him a small nod. "It's alright, son; after everything you've done for this world, you deserve some recognition."

"Okay," shrugged the boy. He closed his eyes and tilted his head upward, while blue lights flashed around his body. Before everyone's eyes, the boy they thought was human transformed into the fighting robot in blue and cyan armor, with extra thick casings on his limbs and a helmet that perfectly covered his wavy hair.

Suddenly, a hurricane of camera flashes and screams from onlookers mobbed the Blue Bomber. "Mega Man! Mega Man!" shouted news reporters, followed by a barrage of random questions: "What new robots are you looking forward to seeing today?" "How's your love life? Are you seeing any female bots?" "Are you afraid of being replaced by one of the fair's robots?" "Where do you keep your E-Tanks?" "Can I have your autograph?" "Mega Man, over here! Smile for the camera!"

Frozen in awe, the robot boy could only crack a small bashful smile and a feeble wave. Fortunately for him, his guardian Doctor Light was quick to grab the boy by the arm and drag him away from the press and into the building.

"Then again," smiled the good doctor, "perhaps that's enough exposure for one day. Come along, kids."

Rock and Roll didn't hesitate to follow his lead.

..

..

Inside the building, there were two stories with arenas as large as baseball fields, each one designated for specific kinds of inventions. Some were for robots built for the armed forces, others for transportation, and there were even new models of helper bots like maids and butlers- something young Roll took slight offense to.

Meanwhile, Rock remained in his blue armor if only to appease the crowd. After a while, their obsession over him began to die down, just in time for his creator to interview some of the show's younger, up and coming inventors. Doctor Light was most interested in meeting hopeful protégés for his growing business, and so far he liked what he saw.

As Light looked over the new robots built for construction, Mega Man was distracted for a moment by a young lady with long purple hair and round glasses, who was holding a microphone in her right hand. "Oh, sir! Over here! Can I interview you for a minute please?"

Seeing as how she looked like a high school student, going by her modest white blouse and long green skirt, the boy grabbed his sister by the hand and dragged her in for the supposed interview.

"So what's your name, sir?" she asked. "And who is this cute young lady with you? Is she your date?"

With a courteous smile he replied, "I'm Rock, but I'm better known as Mega Man. This is Roll, she's my sister."

"Hello," waved Roll enthusiastically.

"We were both made around the same time by Doctor Light, so… yeah."

"Oh I see," smiled the reporter, but then she gasped. "So you must be a fighting robot. Is your sister a fighting robot too?"

"Oh, no!" giggled Roll. "I could never do what my brother does. I'm a helper robot; I assist Doctor Light in the lab."

"She also cooks and cleans around the house," added Rock absent-mindedly. "She's pretty good with the cleaning part, but her latest recipes could use a little- _Oof_!" His sentence, as well as his breath, was cut off by a sudden elbow to the ribs by Roll. "Geeze, what was that for?"

"Don't make me look bad in front of the camera," she hissed with a balled fist.

"Oh," smiled the purple-haired girl. "Don't worry, there's no camera rolling around here. I'm a new reporter bot: News Woman."

The siblings gasped in surprise. "You're… you're one of the new bots on display?" blinked Mega Man.

News Woman beamed, "Yes! What do you think? Did I make a good first interview?"

Roll blushed, "You sure had us going there."

Then from around a corner came a familiar whistle: _"Do Me Fa, Me Sol…"_

Rock and Roll turned their curious heads to the corner, where from around the bend came a red metal glove, coaxing them to come forward.

Taking this cue, Mega Man smiled to News Woman, "Uh, we've gotta go, but keep up the good work."

"And that's a wrap!" smiled the new robot as she waved goodbye to the siblings.

.

Sure enough, once Rock and Roll turned the corner where they heard the whistle, they were met with their wayward brother…

"Proto Man!" smiled Rock.

"Hi, big brother!" cheered Roll.

The taller, grey robot in red limb casings (topped with shades and a yellow scarf) was leaning back on the wall with his arms crossed behind his red helmet. He looked relaxed- almost _too_ relaxed. "Hey," he said calmly.

Rock motioned to his little sister and asked, "You remember Roll, right?"

"Of course," the solo warrior smiled, "how could I forget my little sister? How you doin', kiddo?"

Blushing with excitement, Roll was quick to reply with, "I'm great! Me and Rock are both doing much better since that Roboenza epidemic."

"That's good to hear."

"So," wondered the boy in blue, "what brings you here to the convention anyway?"

Proto Man, not missing a beat, pointed forward. "Him."

Rock and Roll followed Blues' finger to the small grey-haired man up ahead, who was sliding along the hall like a snake in the grass with his wild eyes fixed on the competing entries.

Rock balled his fists in fury. "Wily."

"What is _he_ doing here?" asked Roll suspiciously.

"Dunno," shook Blues' head. "I've followed him in here and been keeping an eye on him since. He doesn't seem to be up to something- at least not _yet_."

"Good to know someone's keeping an eye on him," nodded Mega Man. "After all the grief he's caused us…"

The female robot leaned in next to her bigger brother and frowned, "I guess this means you're too busy to hang out with us then?"

"'Fraid so," shrugged the grey robot.

"That's too bad," she sighed in lament, as she suddenly threw her arms behind her head to mimic his whole stance. "It'd be nice if the three of us could just spend some time together- like a real family, I mean."

Seeing the puzzled pout on Proto Man's face, Rock muttered to him, "Don't mind her. She was programmed with a strong sense of companionship."

"Gotcha," he nodded before turning to his sister. "Don't worry, kiddo; soon as we take care of business here, you n' I can hang out together."

"Great!" cheered Roll as she suddenly embraced Proto Man and squeezed him like a rag doll. (If one were to gaze deeply into his visor, one could see his eyes bulging in pain.) "We could play card games, or go to the carnival downtown, or walk on the beach, or stay up late and watch the stars come out, or maybe we can go shopping! I bet you could use a new set of clothes…"

As she rambled on, the perplexed Blues glanced at his younger brother, who gave him a smile and a shrug as if to say, "I warned you."

"…or maybe we can go to the zoo! Did you know there's a new family of baby-"

"Where's Wily?" sputtered Proto Man, who had just realized that in his moment of perplexity he had lost sight of his target.

"Uh-oh," gasped Mega Man. He too started to look around the room frantically for the shady character, who took off while they weren't looking.

.

Half the size of most men and with grey hair and a mustache as wily as his name, Doctor Albert Wily truly stuck out like a sore thumb at this convention. However, he was also quick on his feet, scuttling from one display to another without alerting too many people of his presence. He seemed to be curious of his competition, but he eventually slinked back to his own personal corner of the room, where a large glass capsule shielded by a tan drape inside was waiting for him.

As the mad genius looked up at this mysterious sphere, his moment of peace was shattered by the sound of metal feet scraping the floor behind him.

"There you are!" shouted Mega Man as he and his brother Proto Man slid into the scene. "Caught you red-handed, Doctor Wily!"

"Step away from that display piece," commanded the grey and red robot.

Wily made a yelp in surprise before going on the defense. "Vaut? Vere did you two come from?" he gasped in a thick German accent.

"Nevermind that," growled a judgmental Mega Man. "We're just glad we got here before you stole that invention."

As his arch nemesis' words sank in, Wily's eyes began to soften before he broke into wild laughter. "Hee-hee-hee… Heeheeheeheehahahahahaha! You sink… You sink I vaus going to steal zis display piece? Ha! You fools, zis just happens to be MY entry for zee Invention of Ze Year contest!"

The robots gasped in bafflement. "_Your _entry?"

"Indeed," he gloated. "I have worked on zis particular model for years now, and he is just about ready to see ze world… Behold, and feast your eyes!"

With gusto, the little man pulled back the blanket on the set piece, revealing a six-foot tall cylinder, wide enough to fit a human in. And indeed, a human-like figure was floating inside, hovering weightlessly thanks to green liquid that filled the interior. Because the green liquid was so dark, it made the figure's appearance blurred; but one could clearly see that it had a human face helmeted by red and white with a dark orb on its forehead, while long golden hair stretched from the back. Its arms and legs were bulky and cubed, thanks to the creature's armor. There was a lot of red on that armor, as well as some white and black patches, but the green dulled and muddled it all.

"Vaut do you sink?" asked the smug mad scientist. "Are you not impressed? Cowering in fear, perhaps?"

"It's… just a robot," said a less than enthusiastic Proto Man.

"Nein," growled Wily.

"Robot Master?" blinked Mega Man.

"Wrong again! Zis, you pitiful metal-brains, is ze pinnacle of my genius: a robot far more advanced zen any oz'er in existence! Forged from unbreakable metal, equipped vith zee latest computer techno-brain, faster and stronger zen the two of you combined!"

"Uh-huh," frowned a very suspicious Mega Man with one eye narrowed. "And, just when exactly do you plan on turning this awesome new robot against us?"

"VAUT?" gasped a seemingly horrified Wily. "How could you even sink such a sing?"

The brothers Mega and Proto exchanged narrow-eyed glances. "Let's see," started the blue one; "how about all those other times you said you've had a change of heart…"

"While plotting world domination behind our backs," added the grey one.

"Which is getting _really old_, by the way?" finished the blue one.

"Ha!" grinned the old madman. "You both sink you have me all figured out, don't you?"

"Vee don't _sink_," aped Blues, "vee _know_!"

The wily-haired man waved his finger at them. "Fools! Both of you! I have nothink to gain by letting my robots loose at zis convention. I plan to win ze grand prize fair and square, and I only need zis one robot to do it. Once ze judges see just how advanced he is- both in physical and mental form- zey will hand me ze trophy and prize money without hesitation. And ZAT, my friends, is called true justice!"

"Uh-huuuh…." Hummed Proto Man before telling his brother, "I give him four minutes."

"Ten."

"You're on."

Deeply offended by their distrust, Wily made a face and groaned.

"Ah, look who's decided to join us after all." This was the unmistakable voice of Doctor Light, who- along with Roll- walked into the scene. He gave his long-time rival a small nod in greeting. "Albert."

"Thom-STAY BACK!" screamed the shorter mustachioed scientist as he used his body (what little of it there was) to block his creation from view of his rival. "Don't you touch him, Thomas Light! He is MY creation! MINE! You get no credit for his perfection, you miserable leech!"

Doctor Light blinked twice before gently remarking, "I was only curious."

Roll looked up at the shadowy figure in the cylinder. "…A new robot for Mega Man to fight?"

"Ha!" huffed Wily. "Zero is not yet ready to be unleashed; but mark my words: once he is, not even the great Mega Man will-"

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait." Proto Man waved his hands in disapproval. "You're telling me that this blocky, girly-haired robot is better than all of us… and you named it _Zero_?"

Before the mad doctor could even begin to explain himself, he was bombarded with fits of laughter, not just from Proto Man but from almost every other human present. Even Mega Man chuckled a little before his guardian gave him a harsh glare.

Meanwhile, Doctor Wily remained quiet, giving his foes nothing more than a sneaky leer. _Laugh all you like, you metal fools,_ he thought; _you won't be laughing so hard when Zero destroys you once and for all…_

"Come on, boys," said Doctor Light as he clasped his blue son's shoulder. "Let Albert have his moment in the sun; at least he's no threat to us."

Rock gave him a nod. "Sure, da—Doctor. I guess he's harmless… for now." With that he gave his foe a quick leer of distrust.

No one seemed to notice the blue boy's momentary slip of the tongue, as the quartet walked away from the wily scientist, hoping that Thomas was right.

All the while, another figure was looking on from behind a high window, a figure with heavy dark armor, a cobra hooded head, and fierce red eyes. He couldn't take those eyes off of the robot floating in the cylinder. The more he stared at it, the more his hatred grew…

..

..

_Wily's Castle- One week earlier._

"_Bass!" shouted the voice of the dark robot's creator, causing him to jump back in surprise. "Get away from zere!"_

_He was caught looming over Zero, whose lifeless body was lying on a diagonal table. The red robot's forehead wasn't yet complete; silvery steel bolts and wires were jetting out while the robot's center blue jewel remained untouched. In such a vulnerable state, it was Doctor Wily's top priority to keep Bass as far away from his newest creation as possible. But right now, his worst fear seemed to be coming true._

_Bass, the black and gold robot with the cobra hooded helmet, took only two steps back from his unconscious counterpart. "What's wrong?" he asked in an innocent tone as his creator stormed toward him. "Aren't I allowed to see my new brother?"_

_Wily shook a finger at him. "You don't fool me, you meddlesome bucket of bolts. I know how you truly feel about Zero- even now I can see ze hatred in your eyes."_

_Bass gave him a sneer. "…Alright, fine. Maybe I am a little jealous of him, but can you really blame me? You said yourself that this guy was gonna replace me in your little scheme to defeat Mega Man once and for all."_

"_Zat vaus not meant for your ears."_

"_Well, too late old man! I already know everything, and it really twists my gears! Destroying Mega Man was always _my_ mission, _my _destiny! You built ME to do the job."_

"_And you have failed, time and time again! You've even helped that blue nuisance at times, as I recall."_

"_Only because I had no other choice- and I wasn't actually helping him, I was helping myself."_

_As their tempers began to flare, another figure stepped into the scene: Treble, Bass' ever loyal wolf-like companion. Silent and observant, he crawled over to Bass' side as if to show where his loyalties lied._

_Wily's mustache furrowed as he huffed, "Hmph! No matter vaut you say, you cannot deny zee truth: You are no match for Mega Man. My hopes now lie vith Zero- he is going to be everything you were meant to. And perhaps even more."_

_Bass' left eye twitched. "You…. You never made a successful robot in your entire life, old man. Your Robot Masters failed, your Killers failed, and I have no doubt that Zero is going to fail."_

"_Enough! …Get out. You are no longer welcome in zis castle. _Out_!"_

_The robot's teeth grit to the point of almost breaking. "You'll see… You'll regret you ever made him."_

"_It is YOU who I regret making! Now! GET! OUT!" As his arm stretched out to point to the nearest doorway, Wily stepped aside for his now disowned "son" to make his exit. But then his attention turned to the other sentient being in the room. "And take your stupid 'pet' vith you!"_

_Treble's ears pulled back as he made a soft whimper in offense._

_Bass planted his hand gently on his wolf companion. "Come on, Treble. We don't need this place anymore."_

_Wily stood his ground as Bass and Treble marched off with their heads high, but their spirits at an all-time low. And that was the last time the two of them had spoken to each other._

..

..

…But that would soon change. Bass would make sure of it.

.

Hours went by, and the excitement was waning down. Soon, a team of white coated judges- Doctor Light included- began to make their rounds to declare which invention would win their hearts and imaginations. It came down to seven new Robot Masters, skilled in either construction or battle, and three companion bots like Rush and Treble in the forms of a lavender ferret, a pink guinea pig and a green and rainbow feathered parrot.

But there was one last entry to observe, and it was the one they were least willing to acknowledge. Only by Thomas Light's insistence did they gain the nerve to approach Doctor Wily's masterpiece.

By then, Zero had been removed from his cylindrical jar and placed on a vertical slab with a step for his red and white feet to stand on. The robot remained lifeless for the time being; his master was attaching a grey headband with a triangular symbol in its center which covered up the blue triangle on his helmet. Wily fastened it on tightly, just as the judges were making their way to his creation.

"Well here we are gentlemen," announced Doctor Light to his fellow scientists. "This is Zero, Doctor Wily's latest creation. He claims it's more advanced than any other existing robots."

"Indeed he is," smiled Wily proudly. "Here, allow me to switch on his main systems vith my laptop computer." Albert then tapped away at his laptop while the judges noticed that there was a wire connecting the laptop to the robot from the back of his helmet.

Once the mad genius hit "Enter," the robot's bright blue eyes flew open. The lesser known scientists gasped in awe at the intensity in his eyes.

"Now zen," Wily said as he turned to his audience, "I would like to demonstrate ze speed in which Zero can learn new information. Zee average speed a standard robot can learn new words is 1.05 seconds."

"Seconds," echoed the robot in 0.15 of a second.

"And he can learn ze meaning of that new word in just-"

Zero interrupted with his new data: "Seconds- plural of second. Definition: a time measurement, specifically a division of an hour by sixty."

"Ooo," cooed the intrigued scientists.

"An hour is also a division of time; twenty-four of which add up to one whole day."

"Yes, Zero, good boy," smiled Wily. "Now let us see how quickly you could solve a simple mathematical problem: one plus one is?"

"Two."

"Two to ze fifth power is?"

"Thirty-two."

"Pi is?"

"The ratio of the circumference of a circle from its diameter, approximately equal to the number 3.1429…. Or, were you referring to the pastry, doctor?"

The scientists chuckled, as their interest in Zero grew all the more.

.

They weren't alone; not far from the scene, Rock and Roll were looking onward, Rock glaring at Wily with his suspicions still raised. "I still don't trust the guy," he said softly.

"Which one, Doctor Wily or Zero?" asked Roll.

"Wily. He thinks he can just waltz in here with a new robot and hope that everyone is okay with it. It's a setup, I just know it is."

"Doctor Light's willing to give him the benefit of a doubt."

Her brother made a deep sigh in exasperation. She was right; it was the good doctor's willingness to trust Wily that kept the Blue Bomber from confronting his worst enemy. "Sometimes, sis, I think dad's a little too trusting."

"Maybe, but… Wait. What did you just say?"

"I said, 'I think the doctor's a little too trusting.'"

Roll looked at him with deep concern. "That's not what you said."

Her brother blinked as though he had just woken from a dream. "Huh? …What'd I say? What'd I say?"

"You said-"

_**CR-A-SH!**_

Mega Man and Roll gasped in alarm; their moment of peace was shattered, along with the glass of a window pane.

Proto Man had been snaking around the room when he heard the crash. With a gasp he took a flying leap toward his siblings. "What was that?" he asked in horror.

Suddenly, Mega Man had summoned his faithful dog Rush and jumped onto his back as the dog morphed into his jet mode. "That," smiled the satisfied blue robot, "was the sound of me winning the bet!"

"It's been _over_ ten minutes," corrected his older brother.

"I was closer than you. You can pay me later!"

"Cheater!" shouted Blues as his brother took the lead toward the troubled area.

.

Descending upon the awestruck scientists like a dark angel was a black and gold robot with purple geometric wings. He came flying in through the window just beyond Wily's presentation table, and already brandishing a cannon on his left arm, primed for battle. His deep red eyes burned as they were fixed on his former master.

Arriving slightly late on the scene were the three heroic robots: Rock, Roll and Blues. It only took one look at this new figure to know that trouble had already started.

"BASS!" barked Wily. "Vaut are you doing here?"

The cobra-hooded robot sneered as he touched ground. "Well, this is a party to celebrate the world's greatest inventions, right? Funny, how I seemed to have lost my invitation." He then turned his red eyes to the robot on the stand. "Well, lookie what we have here. She's gorgeous."

"Zero is a he, you nincompoop."

"I dunno, doc. Long hair? Fair skin? Heck, those green orbs on his chest kind of look like br-"

"Bass! …Vaut do you vant?"

"I 'vant' to ruin your life, you miserable old man. It's the least I can do, after you've severely ruined mine. All you had to do was build me in the same way you've built this she-male. But no, instead I was just an experiment- a demo, as it were, a prelude to this… this ridiculous knockoff!"

"Wow," whispered Proto Man to himself; "And I thought_ I_ had daddy issues."

Wily's face began to flush red with fury. "Zis is about your petty jealousy toward Zero. Vie don't you vait until he is ready to go outside? Ze two of you can settle your differences zere, not in here!"

Bass grinned darkly. "What's the matter? Are you afraid your newest failure will be seen by so many witnesses?"

"Listen to me, you idiot! You cannot fight him here- zere are too many people in zis building, in zis very room!"

"He's right, Bass!" called out Mega Man, whose voice sent a chill down the dark robot's spine. "Someone's going to get hurt if you start a fight in here!"

The cobra-hooded beast turned an evil red eye toward the Blue Bomber. "I never said I wanted a fight… I only said I want to ruin Wily. I don't have to pick a fight with Zero to do that." He aimed his arm cannon at Zero's head.

"Bass, don't!" pleaded Mega Man, but his plea would fall on deaf ears.

The dark robot glared at Wily intently, his eyes now glowing. "You love him more than anything, don't you doc? ….Say it."

Wily was now beside himself, shaking with both fear and anger all at once. Had he squeezed his fists any tighter, he might have drawn blood from his palms. "….Yes. He is like a son to me. I love him dearly."

Bass bared his fangs. "I knew it." His cannon revved up, increasing its energy before the big blast.

"NO!" cried out Rock, but it was too late.

**FOOM**, went Bass' arm cannon, straight at Zero's grey headband.

Everyone ducked for cover, fearing that the blast would cause Zero to erupt into pieces. But to their astonishment, Bass' blast did very little damage. Zero himself seemed to be completely intact, save for his now severed headband. But that was Bass' plan all along, and it was evident when he started to giggle evilly.

Wily looked up, and saw that his beloved creation's blue helmet gem was starting to shimmer like a beacon, as were his eyes which were now slanting like the irises of a cat. "Bass… Vaut have you done?"

The dark robot flapped his wings and took to the air. "Your audience is about to see just what kind of monster your precious Zero really is!"

Zero clasped his forehead, as a throbbing pain began to take over. He doubled over, gritting his teeth. His eyes continued to glow a sharp blue as the virus within his brain started to seize control. He began to pant heavily, as though he was running a marathon. One word kept popping up in his head: "DESTROY. DESTROY. DESTROY."

The red robot grabbed the cord connecting him to Wily's computer and ripped it off. "I…. I must… Destroy…..!" He then let out a wild, ear-piercing roar. Everyone covered their ears and fell to their knees, giving Zero room to pounce forward.

The little blue robot's mouth gaped open in fearful awe. "Everyone… RUN!" shouted Rock.

Zero jumped from his platform, his fingers spread like claws. He had no real objective, but just to run free until he would come to another robot on display. He confirmed this as an appropriate target, and proceeded to tear it limb from limb. Once this target was shredded, he rampaged on to the next helpless robot.

Humans broke out into a panicked stampede, save for a brave few including Doctors Light and Wily. Light was more focused on helping others move away safely, while Wily stood like a deer in headlights at his beloved Zero going berserk. Bass had done his job; Wily fell to his knees a broken man.

"Nein….. Zis can't be happening… Nein! Nein!"

Confused, Mega Man uttered, "I thought his number was Zero."

"Shut up, you imbecile!" cried Wily.

Rock couldn't help but pity the man who was now showing tears in his eyes. He looked to his older brother, who was already charging toward Zero.

Proto Man started to shoot at Zero, whose agility and brute strength proved to be better than his own. The taller red robot glanced at him with his cat-like eyes, and grinned, bearing fangs. The two of them tussled for a while, but the bigger robot needed just one swift blow of his fist: **POW!** Proto Man's shades were shattered, as was part of his face. He fell to the ground like a stone, out cold.

Mega Man, stunned at how quickly his brother was taken out, shifted into his Rush Adapter armor. Now red and winged, he flung himself at his new opponent with his Mega Buster at the ready. But Zero swatted him like a fly before going in for the kill.

The last thing Mega Man saw was Zero's sadistically gaped toothy smile before everything went black.

..

..

**CONTINUED…**


	2. Rampage

.

"**LEVRL ZERO"**

**A Prelude to "The Redemption Squad"**

**Snodin**

**.**

**Part 2**

.

It was chaos.

Zero, Doctor Wily's latest invention, had broken loose and began to jump from room to room, destroying countless robots on display at the annual science fair in Mega City. The only two robots who could stand a chance against him were Proto Man and Mega Man, and it didn't take long for Zero to knock each of them to the ground.

With one swift swipe, Zero's claws dug into Rock's red armor, causing his Rush Adapter skin to malfunction. He fell to the floor dazed, with his dog companion separating from him and going limp.

"Rush," gasped a dazed Blue Bomber.

Rush slumped to his side in obvious pain; he was of no use now. Mega Man pushed himself up on his feet, but there still remained a deep gash in his chest armor. Pained and angered, he pressed on.

.

Meanwhile, the humans were in a rampage, pushing and trampling each other toward the nearest exits. Among them were Doctors Light and Wily, who wisely chose to hide under a table instead of risking injury among the panicked civilians.

"Albert!" hollered an enraged Doctor Light as he crawled over to his long-time rival's side. "It's bad enough that you've attacked my beloved robots, but this? This is going too far! There are innocent people here, for God's sake!"

Wily raised his hands in defense. "Believe me, Thomas; zis vaus not my intention! I had everysink under control! If not for zat broken seal…"

"What seal?"

"Ze seal zat vaus on Zero's forehead, it inhibited his aggression. Vithout it, his morality is lost!"

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "You intended him to be a weapon after all, didn't you? …Didn't you?"

A guilty Wily swallowed hard. "… I may have overdone certain designs."

Suddenly, the mad doctor's collar was ensnared by a very peeved Doctor Light. "You… you never do learn, do you? How many people have to die before you ever learn your lesson?"

He didn't get an answer.

.

Fire broke out in the main hall of the second floor; Zero had laid waste to a whole row of soldier bots on display. He basked in the glory of the fire, proud of his work, while a small figure slowly crept up behind him.

That's when a woman's voice cried out, "Mega Man! Be careful!"

Those first two words hit Zero's ears like bullets. He stopped dead in his tracks and muttered in a deep, menacing voice: "Mega Man…"

In his head, he could hear that same fatherly voice that had whispered to him every day and night during his development, repeating those same tired words over and over again: _"Yes, Zero. Mega Man is your enemy. You must destroy him. Destroy Mega Man."_

His blue eyes lit up like beacons, and his mouth widened into a toothy grin as he turned to face whoever it was that was standing behind him. Scanning the small blue figure, his inner programming read, **TARGET- MEGA MAN- CONFIRMED.**

Rock shuddered at the gleam in his enemy's cat-like eyes. This was going to hurt.

Before he could even deploy one of his shields, POW! Zero plowed his fist into Mega Man's stomach, knocking any air he might have had in his circuits. The impact also flung him into a wall, denting it into a crater. Zero then grabbed the boy by his face and literally peeled him out of the Mega Man-sized crater, only to throw him off a balcony and onto the first floor.

The boy crashed onto the floor hard, but wasn't quite out for the count just yet. Zero jumped over the balcony in an attempt to land on top of him, but Rock rolled out of the way just in time. He then fired his yellow pellets from his Mega Buster; but as accurate as his shots were, Zero deflected them with his arms like they were ping-pong balls.

"That's… That's not possible," blinked a stunned Mega Man.

The red robot grinned, knowing that his armor was made from the latest form of metal there was, an element strong enough to withstand regular energy blasts.

As the red robot began to walk nonchalantly toward his prey, the Blue Bomber continued to fire his yellow energy blasts, then began to charge them up and fire bigger, brighter pellets. Even they didn't work; they ricocheted off of Zero as he came closer. One last super-charged shot should do the trick, thought Rock, and gave it his all. Zero just stood there and waited for his enemy to make the move.

**Rev-rev-rev-rev-rev-rev-rev-rev-FOOM**, went the Mega Buster, right at Zero's chest.

Mega Man paused to take deep, labored breaths. Surely this blast was enough to at least dent the bigger robot…. right? ….Wrong. Rock gasped in horror as he looked straight upward at Zero, who was now looming over him with hardly a scratch on him.

What followed was a series of punches, knee-thrusts, kicks and smacks that would leave Rock bruised and beaten, even his armor was dented and cracked in some places.

As soon as his foe hit the floor, Zero gave pause, lowering his fists. He approached the boy's slumped body and softly kicked his shoulder. No movement. His teeth gnashed in frustration and disappointment. "This…. This is it?_ This_ is the great and powerful Mega Man?"

His steely claws dug into the Blue Bomber's chest and held him up like a rag doll. "I was promised an epic battle with the world's greatest warrior!" growled the yellow-maned brute. "I see no warrior here, just a scared, weak child!"

Too weak to struggle, the battered Blue Bomber's eyes squinted as he looked up at his enemy and whimpered, "K… Kill me…. If you have to… but, please… please don't hurt anyone else…. Please…"

"Pathetic," lamented the red and white robot as he released his prey, causing the little robot to hit the ground hard. Zero then turned around to scream, "I demand a REAL challenge! Show me a _true _warrior!"

"You rang?"

Zero looked upward and saw that a dark and purple-winged robot had been watching him this entire time: Super Bass. With a turn of his chin, he silently invited Zero to a new battle, one which Zero was all too happy to reply to.

As the two Wily Bots began to chase each other around with blasters firing, Roll came out of hiding and ran to her brother's side. "Rock…! Rock, can you hear me?" No response; he was out cold this time.

Bravely, she scooped him up by his shoulders and dragged him well out of harm's way, toward the table where her creator Doctor Light was hiding. "Doctor! …Doctor Light, quick! Rock needs help."

The good doctor shuddered at the sight of his battered son, even more so with the sounds of clashing metals and walls being broken through in the near distance. After giving Rock a quick look, Thomas frowned grimly, "There's nothing I can do for him; he needs a full repair. Roll, you need to get him out of here."

"What about you?"

"I can't leave, not with so many people in need of an escape. I'll help them, you help your brother. Go, now."

"But Doctor."

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Please, dear, just go!"

Taking this as an order, Roll gave him a frown and a nod before picking up Rock again, this time headed in another direction. Only once did she dare look back at where her creator was before she continued her escape, but by then he had already taken a run for it. Her heart sank; this day was looking bleaker by the minute.

..

..

**Rebooting system is 3… 2… 1…**

**System now online.**

"…uuuggghh….." was the sound coming from his mouth as he slowly regained consciousness. When his eyes opened, they fluttered- shocked to be in sunlight. That's when he realized that he was outside. "Wha!" yipped Mega Man as he threw his upper body forward, causing himself a pain in his sides. "Augh!" he winced.

"No Rock, lay down," commanded his sister, whom he saw was kneeling beside him. "You're still badly damaged."

"Where… What happened? How long was I out?"

She replied rather somberly, "Almost an hour."

"What?" He almost sat up again, but this time Roll laid her hand on his chest to stop him.

She explained, "Zero had all of us remaining robots leave the building; he said we were 'unworthy.' I wanted to bring Doctor Light, but he told me to take you and run."

"Doctor Light! Is he okay?"

She frowned, "I… I don't know. I've sent Beat to scout the building for me. He should be back soon."

While they waited, Rock looked around and saw that they weren't alone. Proto Man was sitting up consciously nearby, but his scarf made for a bandage around his eyes, as they were now blinded. His helmet had been taken off with Roll's help; it was cracked in the front. He was also holding his chest plate as though he was suffering from internal damage.

Rush was present as well, licking his front paw while sitting up on his hind quarters. His torso was patched up with some straps of metal like bandages, but it wasn't enough to fully recover him.

Also present were some of the newer and weaker robots, including News Woman. All of them were huddled together in fear and confusion.

Rock looked left and right, but noticed one robot was missing. "What happened to Bass?"

His sister shrugged, "I don't know, he's probably still in there, fighting Zero."

"_In there."_ When she said this, Mega Man's attention turned to the now crippled convention center. Some of its walls were slumped and riddled with holes from the battle. Part of its foundation was in ruins; it looked like the whole thing could collapse at any moment. This made the boy's metaphoric heart sink.

"_Beat-Beat-Beat!" _Suddenly, a tweet followed by a small blue ball came fluttering toward the siblings. It was Beat, the bird-like scout bot.

"Beat," gasped Roll as she held out her arm for the bird to perch on. "What did you find out? Could you play us the feedback?"

"_Beat-beat!"_ he tweeted. Then his eyes flashed alight, activating a replay of footage he recorded from his own eyes in holographic form:

.

_The room was dark, too dark for the white robed scientists to know exactly which arena they were trapped in. But here they were, a collection of friends and rivals alike, all huddled together as their captor approached them while carrying a large sack around his shoulder._

_Doctors Light and Wily were among the captives; they kept silent as Zero, the overpowered robot warrior, turned the sack over and dumped a pile of freshly mutilated Robot Master parts onto the floor. Gasps of horror were raised, as some of the scientists recognized the parts of their own machines splattered before them._

"_None of these robots were worthy of me!" snarled the feral warrior. He began to pace around the litter of robot parts while addressing the huddle of frightened scientists. "You humans were born to make great robots, yet your individual works proved worthless! I propose a new project: Build me the perfect opponent. Use these parts if you must, but make sure you get it right this time! If anyone refuses and tries to escape, they will be met with swift and brutal punishment…"He leaned in on a female scientist, catching her off guard. "Don't think I won't!" he sneered with a fanged grin._

_One brave soul among the crowd of captives spoke out, "You can't order us around! Who do you think you are?"_

_Zero stared into the young man's soul with his burning cat-like eyes. "I am the one who will decide whether you live through the night. Now, take all the time you want- I'm a patient bot. But trust me, if you fail…" –__**SHING!**__- He finished his sentence by plowing his sword into the ground, right in between the legs of the young man. Everyone jumped in surprise, including Light and Wily._

"_Now… GET TO WORK!"_

.

Beat's transmission was cut off right then, as Rock began to shake with anger. "He's insane… I have to stop him."

Roll narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not going anywhere, not in your condition. I've already called the police, and the Robot Masters. They'll take care of this."

"Zero won't stop, not until he gets his battle."

"…Rock, please. I almost lost you back there. I don't want to…" Her eyes drifted away as her bottom lip quivered.

He sighed deeply. "You and Auto have to repair me anyway."

Reluctantly, it seemed, she nodded in reply.

"And Roll?"

"Yes?"

"….Call Wily's Robot Masters too. We need all the help we can get."

..

..

Twenty more minutes went by, and the trapped scientists were at wits end. The fact that there was no electricity and very limited air made them agitated, coupled with the fact that they were now forced to rebuild their beloved creations from scratch under orders from their captor. Doctor Light and a younger white robed man provided flashlights for those who were piecing together the severed robot parts. But one other scientist was noticeably far from the crowd.

"Hey," spoke up one of the captives. "Where did that little weasel Wily go?"

"He's around," replied a stunningly patient Doctor Light.

The young man balled his fists in anger. "Why isn't he helping us? This is all his fault, and he's not even lifting a finger!"

"Don't worry about him."

"Why not?" shouted one of the two lady scientists. "Doctor Atkins is right; if anybody deserves this punishment, it's Wily."

Thomas couldn't hold them back anymore as the captives began to moan and groan about the mad doctor. He stepped aside and motioned over to the small old man in the corner, fiddling with his own contraption in secret.

"There he is!" said another captive. "Let's get him!"

"You leave him alone!" barked Thomas. He then scanned the room to make sure Zero wasn't around to hear what he was about to say. "…If you really must know," he whispered, "he's busy rebuilding an inhibitor that will stifle Zero's bloodlust. It may be our only chance at getting out of here alive."

"And what are we supposed to do?" asked Atkins. "Just sit here and give in to Zero's demands?"

"Exactly," Thomas nodded. "We must make him think that we're all cooperating with him, while Albert fixes his inhibitor."

"This is insane," moaned the other female scientist. "We're supposed to trust the man who made that maniac robot, _and_ we have to risk our lives too?"

Thomas picked up a fallen robot's orange helmet and began to plot. "Hmm… If I can fix this helmet's communicator, I can get the word out to my boys. I just hope they're alright…"

..

..

Just as Roll had hoped, a swarm of police cars arrived, including a helicopter, along with the Robot Masters built by Doctor Light. Both series came, in fact; from Guts Man's group to Concrete Man's. Even the likes of Splash Woman, Oil Man, Time Man, and Jewel Man, whose special powers weren't necessarily useful in this situation. But just being there alone proved their loyalties, and soon they would be joined by a more nefarious group.

There were a total of ten Robot Master series that Rock had faced over the years, including his own brothers (and sister) created by Doctor Light, but only five could truly call themselves Wily Bots. The first of their kind included the likes of Quick Man, Metal Man and Heat Man; the second featured Snake Man and Needle Man to name a few. Other series bots that Wily had taken control of at one point or another included the Doctor Cossack series, the International Warrior series, and eight robots infected with Roboenza. None of those robots responded to Roll's distress call, as they were no longer part of Wily's arsenal. But the official five Wily series did, surprisingly, answered the call, and five teams of Wily Bots were better than none, in Rock's opinion.

After Auto had arrived with the necessary spare parts, he, Roll and Cut Man went to work on fixing Mega Man's armor. Though he was still a little sore and damaged internally, he could at least stand and move within twenty minutes. Once he felt strong enough, he got back up on his feet to properly greet his friends, as well as his old enemies.

"…Okay," he sighed as the two sides took to their own area, Light Bots on his left and Wily Bots on his right. "Does everyone know the situation? Do I have to explain anything?"

"I just have one question," spoke up Cut Man with his eyes squinted with anger. He then motioned to the infamous Wily Bots standing across from him and his siblings. "Why are **they **here?"

"**They're** here," replied an equally peeved Mega Man, "because they can help us take care of Zero."

Crash Man, the drill-handed bomber, crossed his hands and snobbishly responded with, "Don't confuse this as an act of charity, Mega-Dweeb. We're only here to help our Master, Doctor Wily."

"_You _worry about Zero," added the tree-trunk-bodied Woodman. "He's not our problem."

Mega Man balled his fists. "If that's how it's gonna be, then the least you can do is lend me your powers. _I'll _use them against Zero."

"Absolutely not!" declined Flash Man, the shiny-headed time-stopper. His response was followed by a chorus of verbal insults from his fellow Wily Bots, all claiming that they'd rather be scrap metal than have their life-long nemesis steal their gifts.

"Stop it, all of you!" hollered Roll, who ran to her brother's side in support. "We're running out of time, we can't just stand here and fight amongst ourselves while there are people dying in that building."

"Puh," snorted the arrogant Quick Man. "What do we care about a few measly humans? They're well-being's not in our programming. We're born to kill our enemies, nothing else."

"Then why bother coming out here at all?" asked an angered, red-scarfed Oil Man as he stared down Quick Man.

Suddenly, Heat Man with the cigarette lighter for a body, jumped in front of him. "Because," he huffed, "unlike some of you mediocre robots, we are _real_ warriors! We have the talents and the skills to fight, while you're nothing more than pieces of construc-mff-mffmfffmffmff!" The rest of his dialogue was muffled once Oil Man slammed Heat Man's lighter top down on his face.

The fiery Heat Man lifted his top up and growled, "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about! You Light Bots have no class, no sophistication whatsoever! You have a lot of nerve to come and ask us-" _Slam,_ went the top lid again! "Mffmffmfmfmff!" He lifted it again, this time flushing with rage. "STOP DOING THAT!"

_*Whistle!*_ (-Not to be confused with his "Theme" whistle.)

All faces turned to the blind Proto Man, not budging from his seat but listening intently. "I didn't get that good a look at Zero before he punched my face in, but I know enough to tell you Wily Brats this: If you really think you can just ignore that maniac, and waltz in there and out again with your boss, prepare to be disappointed."

"Blues is right," frowned Mega Man. "Zero may have been programmed to target me, but his drive to fight is beyond his control. He tore through a hundred robots in there before he even thought about getting to me. We need to band together to stop him, or he'll cut us all down one by one."

Quick Man narrowed his eyes at his small nemesis. "And I suppose _you_ have a plan?"

Rock bit his lip and gulped. He knew very well that he was an above-average robot, on the same level as the Robot Masters in fact. But he never before had the opportunity to give direct orders to anyone, let alone a small army. For once, he was stumped. "Uh… Well, uh….." he stammered nervously, then hung his head in shame.

"Wonderful!" the vampiric Shade Man cheered sarcastically. "He calls us here and expects us to follow his orders, and he doesn't even have a strategy. Our hero, everyone."

"Alright, you leave him alone!" barked Cut Man, as he became the first of the Light Bots to start a shouting fit at the Wily Bots.

While everyone else broke out into a verbal riot, Rock was taken by surprise by the following sound in his ears: **ZZZZ!** _"Mega Man? Mega Man, can you hear me? This is Doctor Light calling."_

The voice came from Rock's right earpiece on his helmet. It jolted him in surprise before he pressed the red button in the piece's center. "Da- I mean Doctor? Is that you?"

"_It's me, son. I've rewired one of the broken robot's helmet communicators."_

"Doctor… Wait, one second." He lifted his finger from his earpiece to call out to the other robots. "Guys? …Everyone?" Their banter continued. "Quiet! …Quiet, please!... EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!"

At last, there was silence. Everyone looked on in surprise at the little blue robot that just shouted at them.

"It's Doctor Light," Rock informed them. "He found a way to contact me, so keep your voices down!" He pressed the button on his earpiece again. "Doctor. Are you alright?"

"_I'm fine, but listen! We don't have much time…"_

.

Inside the building, Light was wearing the orange robot helmet he picked up earlier, shielding Wily from Zero's sight as he fiddled away at a small grey device.

"Right now," said the good doctor, "Doctor Wily is making a machine that should tame Zero's aggression, but someone will have to attach it to the jewel on his helmet. If anyone of us tries it, he'll attack."

.

"I understand," replied Mega Man while his siblings and rivals looked on. "So all we have to do is get it from Wily and then place it on Zero?"

"_It's not the safest plan, but right now it's the only one we have… Are you and your brother alright?"_

"We're getting there, but we have help now. Don't you worry, Dad we'll—Ergh!" He paused to bite his tongue in regret. "I have to stop doing that," he whispered to himself.

"_What was that? …Mega Man, do you read me?"_

Rock blushed slightly as he replied, "Yes, yes, I'm still here. Sorry, I was… distracted. Just sit tight; we'll get you all out of there. Mega Man, out."

.

As Doctor Light's connection dropped, he removed the orange helmet and paused in confusion. "Hmm, strange. We've must have had a bad connection; I thought for a moment there he called me 'Dad'…"

.

Rock took in a deep breath, now energized with new confidence. He cupped a fist as he faced his fellow robots, both good and evil. "Okay, here's the plan! We'll need to break into two teams. Wily bots, you'll be Team One; Light bots, Team Two. Team One goes after Zero and draws him out of the building, and keep him busy for as long as you can. Team Two, you're with me; we'll be the rescue division and focus on getting the humans out of there."

"Oh, oh!" jumped Roll with her hand raised enthusiastically. "Can I be on Team Two? I want to help!"

Her brother smiled and nodded. "Sure; the more help we get, the better."

Proto Man, with his eyes still blanketed by his scarf, lifted his arm cannon slightly and frowned, "I'm afraid I'm not much use to either team; I can't see worth a dime."

Rock paused to ponder something, then approached his brother. "Here, Blues…" Gently, he guided his brother with his hands and feet into a specific direction and position, then guided his arm cannon forward. "You just stay right here. When I give you the word, you fire with everything you've got."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Team One? Whenever you get the chance, herd Zero into Proto Man's range, then I'll give the go-ahead to let him have it."

The Wily bots nodded in compliance.

"I like this plan," nodded Blues.

"Now Roll," added Mega Man to his sister. "Doctor Wily will have something on him that you'll need to retrieve. Bring it to me as quickly as you can. I'll do my best to put it on Zero, and it should weaken him enough to be taken down for good."

Roll nodded, "I can do that… I just hope this plan works."

Rock sighed softly, "So do I, sis… So do I."

.

Nearby, the other surviving robots from the convention watched with baited breaths as their heroes (and anti-heroes) began to position themselves for battle. Among them was News Woman, who couldn't help but pick up her microphone and monologue like a true reporter:

"A convention center under siege, a group of scientists in peril, and all thanks to one killer robot. With the cops on standby, one brave team of Robot Masters- led by our hero Mega Man- is about to march into the warzone. Will they make it out alive, or will this epic battle end in tragedy? This is News Woman, reporting live from downtown Mega City."

"…Who are you talking to?" asked Cut Man as he walked by the young robot girl.

News Woman blushed, realizing she had no cameraman and was therefore talking to thin air. "Eh, heh-heh. D-don't mind me, just keep walking."

Cut Man shrugged and followed after his brothers.

.

What none of the robots knew, however, was that they did indeed have an audience. Hiding on top of a nearby skyline was a small orb-shaped robot sentinel, designed to look like a human eyeball as it were; its outer metal was white, its cornea jet black, and its "iris" was bright orange. It had no limbs, yet it hovered in the air with no visible jets. This robot was not of Rock's world; it had been sent through a dimensional portal by a mysterious exploration group as a means of studying new worlds and their inhabitants.

This little eyeball robot, known in its world as a "core," was about to have a front-row seat to an impending battle that would determine the fate of innocent civilians. It made a point to record everything that was about to take place, frame by frame. Surely its masters would enjoy what it was about to see.

..

..

**CONCLUDED…**


	3. Salvation

.

"**LEVRL ZERO"**

**A Prelude to "The Redemption Squad"**

**Snodin**

**.**

**Part 3**

.

One team distracts Zero, the other evacuates the civilians. An easy plan, right?

Not so much for Wily's Robot Masters; they were five teams of eight, and even that wasn't enough to wear down the red monster known as Zero. He was made of a metal far stronger than theirs, and was quick to learn each of his opponents' steps- from Wood Man's razor-sharp leaves to Shadow Man's warp through actual shadows, to Napalm Man's chaotic missile barrages. To him, they were all his playthings.

With a sword stolen from a felled combat robot, Zero plowed through one Robot Master at a time. He was faster than Quick Man, sneakier than Snake Man, more fiery than Heat Man. He caught one of Metal Man's spinning saw blades and with it he sliced the lesser robot in two. He caught Hard Man's detachable fist and flung it at Star Man, who began to see real stars. Flash Man came really close to freezing the mad robot in time, but by then Zero had already torn off one of Crash Man's drill appendages and drilled it through the time-stopper's middle.

"He's got to be weak to _something_!" declared Freeze Man, as he and his fellow ice robots prepared to hit him with everything they had.

For a moment, Zero was finally stopped in a casing of ice brought on by Freeze, Frost and Cold Man. While he was frozen in place, the remaining Robot Masters paused to breathe and relish in their victory. But alas, it was a fleeting victory, as the ice around Zero soon began to crack.

"That's… that's impossible," gasped the igloo-designed Frost Man.

But it wasn't; Zero was made with a metal far stronger than any robot before him, just as Wily had designed. Seeing their red foe squirming for freedom, the Wily Bots aimed and hit him with everything they had. But it was all for nothing, as their fire power only seemed to fuel his rage.

One by one, they were sliced by his swinging sword, taking one slow step at a time before cornering the fearful Robot Masters. "Toys," he muttered, but then his voice began to rise as he pressed forward, sending their parts flying every which way. "Toys… Toys! …TOYS, ALL OF YOU! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

With every swing of his sword, Zero was feeling more and more alive. His sharp teeth gleamed as his smile widened while he approached the last of his remaining opponents. This was what he was built for. He accepted it.

He loved it.

..

..

Meanwhile, Proto Man was standing like a statue outside of the convention center, which was crumbling with every minute thanks to the battle within. His left arm was aiming high upward, revving up to nuke Zero with all of his remaining energy. …But time was slowly passing by, and still no signal to fire.

"This is taking too long," he muttered to himself. "What're those guys doing in there?"

"_Beat-beat-beat!"_ whistled something in his ear. Though he was blind, Proto Man nodded in recognition. "Beat," he greeted the robotic bluebird. "What's the news?"

"_Beat-beat-beat, bee-bee-beat."_

"They're _what_? …Idiots! I thought Rock told them to bring Zero out here!"

"_Bee-ee-eat, beat-beat, beat?"_

"Call Rush," ordered the red and grey robot. "I need you two to retrieve any battle data chips you can. Rock's gonna need them."

"_Beat, beat-beat-beat?"_

"I'm staying right here. I didn't juice up my blaster for nothing."

"_Beat, beat!"_

He heard the little bird's wings flutter away. He took in a deep sigh and hoped that his new plan would work, as it seemed his brother's plans were falling apart.

"I hope you're having better luck on your end, bro."

..

..

Elsewhere in the convention center, a dark figure was slowly crawling out of a pile of rubble. It was Bass- what was left on him, anyway. His hour-long bout with Zero left him with wide open scars on his face and sides, plus part of his right arm was severed. Not that it mattered, as he was impervious to pain. But still, he needed help from his trusty sidekick Treble, who was also battered from the fight, to pull him out of the wreck.

With his pride far more wounded than his body, Bass paused to observe his scars and let out an animalistic growl. Clearly, losing to a better version of himself was not part of Bass' original plan. Now, things were getting personal.

"Curse that Zero," he sputtered, bearing fangs. "He'll pay for this…"

..

..

So far, the evacuation was going smoothly. Cut Man, Bomb Man and Guts Man all cleared a path from the outside to the center of the building, where the hostages were being kept. Jewel Man and Concrete Man formed crystal and concrete pillars to hold up the more sensitive parts of the ceiling, so that the humans could leave safely. All that was left for the robots to do was gather up the wounded and hurry them out before Zero came on to them.

Rock was a nervous wreck; he tapped his foot and chattered his teeth while his brothers and sisters scurried back and forth with their charges. But there was no sign of his creator, Doctor Light, not until the last of the civilians were found.

Thomas was carrying a fellow scientist's arm over his shoulder; he looked tired and dirty, but seemed to be unharmed.

"Da-Doctor!" he stuttered as he ran to his maker's side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," replied the tired old man, as he laid his colleague on his back. "Doctor Stevens needs your help more than I do."

"I'll get Elec Man on it," Rock insisted.

"Rock," frowned Doctor Light. "There's someone else who needs you right now."

"Who?"

"Ergh," groaned a familiar German voice close by. It was Wily, alright; he was limping and holding a small silver headband of sorts.

"Oh," muttered Mega Man with half-opened eyes. "Him."

"Yes, _him_," nodded Thomas in a strict voice. "I realize he's caused us all a lot of grief today, but…"

"I know, Doctor. I understand." Though he was sincere, there was a twinge of reluctance in his tone.

Looking as disheveled as Thomas, Wily cringed as his long-time enemy approached him. He clutched onto his invention tightly, as though he feared it being destroyed. "Now you listen to me, you big blue dolt," snapped the feisty scientist. "Zis is Zero's new inhibitor; strap it on his head, unt he vill go back into sleep mode."

"And this will all be over?" asked a cautious Mega Man.

"Yes… in theory," he replied with a weasely smirk.

Hearing that, the robot boy's blue glove seized the old man's collar and pulled him close, so that his big blue eyes could burn into Wily's. "Whatever you're planning," he started to threaten, when his maker's voice stopped him in mid-rant.

"Rock, now is not the time!"

Mega Man loosened his grip on his enemy, much to Wily's relief, before summoning his faithful companion. "Rush, here boy!"

Teleporting into the scene was the red robo-dog, with something lodged in his mouth. Tail wagging, he approached his master eagerly.

"What's that, boy?" Curious, Rock reached out and seized the items in Rush's mouth. He gasped, "…Robot Master battle chips… Wood Man? Quick Man? Hard Man…"

"MY robots?" yelled Wily in outrage. "How did you…?"

"Zero," frowned Mega Man. "They went to challenge him. They must have lost."

Thomas gulped; not even Wily's own robots were a match for Zero? This was worse than he thought. "Rock, get Wily out of here, quickly."

"Yes, Doctor. Rush, jet mode."

Rush tucked in his legs and head to morph himself into a flying craft. As he hovered slightly over the ground, his master nudged Wily over to him.

Still reeling from the sudden loss of his robots, Wily reluctantly handed Zero's inhibitor over to his enemy, but not without a dark warning: "Zis changes nothing, Mega Man. I vill crush you ven zis is all over."

"Just get on the dog," replied the blue robot with narrowed eyes.

Once the old man's weight was on him, Rush took off in a dash through the air.

Rock turned to his creator and said, "Now it's your turn, Do-…. No..!"

"What?" asked a confused Thomas, not realizing that a red figure with flowing hair of gold was approaching from behind him.

"…My challenger," murmured Zero as he marched out from the dark, his eyes and helmet jewel glowing. His cold stare fell on Thomas. "You were supposed to make me a challenger. Where is he?"

"Right here!" declared Mega Man as he jumped in front of doctor Light, aiming his Mega Buster at the big brute.

"_You?_ Ha! I already defeated you."

"That was before," replied the Blue Bomber as he quickly placed the battle chips into his arm. "I'm ready for you this time!"

Not one to turn down a challenge, even from one as small and insignificant as this, Zero gave Mega Man a confident smirk. "If you insist."

"Not here!" snapped the Blue Bomber. "Outside."

"Hmm," mused Zero. "…You first."

..

..

**SMASH!**

Rock went flying through a window after being hurled by his red opponent. He skidded face first into the dirt before Zero landed hard on his back.

The taller robot then grabbed the little blue one by his helmet and flung him into the building's leftmost wall, before Mega Man even had time to let out a painful scream. But once he opened his eyes and saw Zero charging toward him, he was quick to roll out of the way and save himself from being impaled by Zero's stolen sword.

As the two of them continued their struggle, Rock's brothers ran to the scene. "Now's our chance," declared Cut Man, remembering his younger brother's plan of action. "Guts Man, you grab him from behind and throw him at Proto Man!"

"Got it," said the bulky Guts Man as he cracked his knuckles.

Unknowing of their reinforcements, Mega Man was having a hard time placing the inhibitor device on Zero, as the red robot instinctively kept the little robot's hands at bay. Out of frustration, he activated one of the newly obtained weapons, Napalm Bomb, on Zero. The explosion was enough to knock back the bigger robot, but it didn't seem to dent his armor at all.

Just as Zero righted himself from the blast, Guts Man came barreling from behind and wrapped his massive arms around the Wily Bot. Proving to be the stronger of the two, Guts Man put a tight squeeze on Zero to the point where the red robot actually cringed in pain. Then Guts Man's heavy arms flung his foe into the air, right into Proto Man's range.

"Blues, NOW!" screamed Rock.

Hearing his brother's cry, the blind robot nearby gave a nod of compliance. "Here goes nothing," murmured Proto Man.

With one final rev, his arm cannon let out a white-hot stream of light with a great, **WHOOSH!**

But at that moment, right when the heroes had Zero in their sights, a flash of purple struck Blues, knocking him off kilter. His laser blast was set far off course, missing its target. That flash of purple was none other than Treble, who now had Blues pinned to the ground.

Beside himself, Rock's mouth gaped wide open in disbelief. Knowing that Treble was active, it wouldn't be long before his master would show up. Feeling a pit of dread in his stomach, Mega Man leaned back on the wall.

_Beat-beat-beat!_

Fluttering onto the scene was the little bluebird Beat, carrying in his talons a collection of battle data chips.

The bird dropped the chips into his master's hands, who stared at them intently. "The other Wily Bots' battle chips… So they've all been destroyed…" He paused for a moment of brief mourning for those who were once his enemies, before gripping onto the battle chips.

"I won't let them die in vain. I'll use these chips to my advantage… I will defeat Zero, one way or another."

.

In the distance, the orange-eyed robot spy-drone from origins unknown stared intently at the little blue warrior. Though it had no face to express itself, one would argue that it too was cheering Mega Man on.

.

Meanwhile, Mega Man's brothers had formed a barrier between Zero and Mega Man, but not even their weapons were strong enough against him. He was stunned and dizzied for a time, but nothing could knock him on his feet, not even Bomb Man's bombs or Cut Man's blades.

The red brute mused at their feeble attempts of knocking him down; his lips twisted into a fiendish grin as he swatted Cut Man's scissors away and took a swing at Guts Man. With one hit, the giant construction bot fell onto his back, flattening Ice Man in the process.

"ZERO!" hollered a young voice, alarming the red brute.

Walking toward him with a limp was the little blue robot he had defeated twice before, pushing away his brothers who tried to hold him back. "…You leave them alone," said the courageous little robot.

"You've lasted far longer than anyone else so far," smiled the red robot, whose tone of voice seemed calmer than usual. "I must say, I am deeply impressed."

The smaller robot slowly turned to face his enemy, with a certain gleam of vengeance in his eyes. His Mega Buster flashed in the light of the sun, and his right hand gripped into a tightened fist. "Tell me, Zero… All those Wily robots you've defeated just now… Did you get hit by them one at a time, or all at once?"

Before his blue, cat-like eyes, Zero watched the little robot flash all different colors at once, as his Mega Buster unleashed a wave of fire, followed by spinning saw-blades, followed by a charge of electricity, and at least a dozen other weapons at once. It all happened so fast that the force pushed him backward. At long last, Zero the undefeatable robot was getting pulverized.

When the big red robot dropped to a knee in pain, Mega Man ceased his assault. This was it, he thought; this was the moment he had been striving for. Now he could finally put Wily's newly remade inhibitor on Zero's head, and all of this fighting would be over! He took a deep breath and threw out his hand to seize Zero's helmet.

**-ZAP!-**

Zero saw it coming; his vision was still keen despite his new battle wounds. He could see that Mega Man was about to hit him with something, and with lightning speed he retaliated with a sudden blast from his own arm cannon. But the blast proved all too powerful, as it not only knocked back Rock, but it also collided with the convention center's main wall.

The wall gave out a horrible quake and rumble as it toppled, along with the ceiling that was held up by a thread. As Rock observed the devastation, a gruesome reality hit him: Doctor Light was still in there.

Doctor Light. He never made it out…

_**WHOO-OO-OOSH**_, went the last wall of the building. Smoke and ash filled the air. It was all gone… all of it…

_He_ was gone…

"…no…. no…"

Losing all feeling in his limbs, he dropped the small silver headband he nearly ended the battle with.

As Rock fell to his knees, his hands covered his helmet's ear pieces as if he was overcome with loud noise. His eyes were quivering, as though he had been hit with a shockwave. With one big breath, he lost all control and spilled out the one word he was once too afraid to say: "_**F-A-T-H-E-R!"**_

As the boy held his head and grieved, another figure- a much darker one- snaked his way into the scene. It was Bass; battered from his own battle against his rival, but strong enough to still walk. He was taking advantage of the fact that his sworn nemesis was lost in grief and therefore wasn't paying any bit of attention to him as he crept closer and closer. This was a moment that Bass had been waiting for, ever since he took up the mantle of Mega Man's killer. At long last, he had the Blue Bomber right where he wanted him: vulnerable, unaware, and completely defenseless.

Relishing in the moment, Bass slowly lifted his arm cannon behind Rock's back. "Zero may have crippled you," he softly muttered, "but I'm the one who'll break you."

But no sooner did his black arm cannon rev up for a final shot, that it was suddenly seized by a white gloved hand. Stunned, Bass turned to the robot standing beside him in defiance. "Zero?" he gasped in disbelief.

With gritted fangs, the red and white robot stared down his rival with his fierce cat-like eyes. "Mega Man is_ my_ prey, not yours!"

"Stay out of this," snarled the older Wily bot. "This was _my _fight to begin with, and _I'm_ the one who'll finish it!"

"Not your decision to make," Zero snarled right back.

As the two of them began to arm wrestle for control of Bass' weapon, Rock was still stuck in his stupor, staring blankly at the ground with a terrible ache in his core. His torso was slumped over, with his arms just barely holding him up as he sat knee-bent in the dirt. It was as if he was in another world entirely, lost in darkness. Tears streamed down his face like torrents, and his mouth was gaped open, yet no sound was coming out. So great was his grief, he could no longer find the strength to scream.

Then, without warning, he was stunned by a loud **"FOOM!"** Taken out of his stupor momentarily, he and his siblings watched in horror, as Bass fell to his knees, holding his waist in extreme pain. Zero had not only gained control of his arm cannon, but he also aimed it at his older brother's stomach. The force of the blast was so great, that the mighty Bass now had a gaping hole where his stomach once was.

Alarmed, Treble galloped over to his master and let Bass slump his body onto his back. The purple robot wolf scooped the rest of his master's body onto his back, and he took off in a mad dash. The red Wily Bot didn't care to follow, now that he knew that his brother was out of commission for good. It was just him and Mega Man now…

Unlike his older and darker brother, who would have killed the blue robot by now, Zero stared at the spiritually crushed Mega Man with strong curiosity. Funny, just a few minutes ago he was geared up for battle, and actually putting up one hell of a fight; now he was a mere shadow of that warrior. What a pity, he thought to himself. He was really enjoying himself when Mega Man was in the game. He felt… happy. But now that joy was gone- killed, along with his enemy's fighting spirit. This was not the conclusion Zero wanted. No, he wanted more. It just couldn't end this way.

"…ugh…..father….f-father…." echoed the little robot's now cracked and weakened voice through sniffles.

That word. _Father._ It intrigued Zero for some reason. "…Father?" he muttered, almost fearfully. Then it hit him: "Father" was another word for "Creator." Mega Man was missing his creator. He understood.

"Zero! Get away from him!" shouted a small voice.

Charging head on toward the red robot were the Robot Masters created by Doctor Light, with Cut Man leading the brigade.

Zero cringed; these robots couldn't possibly give him the satisfaction that Mega Man did. It was time to retreat. As the Light Bots began to surround him, Zero took one last look at his greatest opponent to date and narrowed his eyes. He frowned almost remorsefully, "No need to defend him… He's not worth it anymore."

And with that, Zero teleported himself out of sight, digitizing himself in the same way as Mega Man would after storming an enemy's fortress.

Rock couldn't care less where his enemy had gone; just as long as he was far away from his family; that alone gave him a moment of peace.

But in that moment, a small glimmer of hope sparked in Rock's eyes, as his ears picked up a familiar voice calling to him: "Rock!" It was Cut Man's voice, and it sounded jubilated. "Rock, come quick! Doctor Light is alive!"

"Doctor?" blinked Rock in a weak voice. Sure enough, he followed his brother's voice and found his creator being pulled out of the rubble on an ambulance stretcher. He was wearing an oxygen mask and looked worse for wears, but he was definitely breathing.

"Da-D-Doctor!" he cheered as he used his Slide technique to zip toward the stretcher his creator was laid out on. He dared to reach to embrace him, but resisted at the last minute for fear he might worsen the old man's injuries.

"Rock," smiled Light weakly as he slowly pulled the mask from his mouth. "You're alright. Thank goodness."

"You too," the little robot sniffled, his eyes watering. "I… I thought I lost you back there."

"Aw son, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

Rock gently grasped the good doctor's hand and smiled, "Hey, it's okay. It doesn't matter now; you're alive."

"R-Rock… I must ask…"

"Don't talk, you need to rest."

"Just one thing," sighed Doctor Light. "I… I heard you say something earlier. I might have heard wrong- the debris muffled the sound- but I thought… I thought I heard you call me, 'Father.'"

The boy's eyes widened with worry and shame. He frowned in a mild panic, "I… I did. I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean any disrespect! Please, forgive me. I'll never say it again!"

"No, don't..." Light's hand tightened in Mega Man's. "Don't be sorry… You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you call me that." His smile at that moment couldn't be grander if he tried.

Surprised, the boy gasped, "Really? …B-but, that wasn't part of my programming. I- I thought it was just a glitch, a malfunction."

"No, Rock; far from it. I've built you to obey the most basic of commands, yes, but you're also capable of learning new things. I had hoped that in time, you and your siblings would think of me as more than just your creator and teacher… Rock, you've just made me the happiest man alive."

For a moment, the robot was relieved, but in a blink he was back to being puzzled. "…S-so, I'm not going crazy?"

Light couldn't help but chuckle, even though it pained his chest. "Aw, my dear boy, you'll never cease to amaze me."

"Doctor Light," murmured a paramedic standing by. "We have to go sir, you're still in critical condition."

But Thomas wasn't finished with his son just yet; "Just one more minute please," he pleaded. "Rock, my boy… You are free to address me however you want- be it Doctor, or Father, or just Dad. It's all fine by me."

The blue robot nodded in compliance. "Yes, sir. I mean Dad. …Sir."

Thomas chuckled softly as the paramedic placed the oxygen mask on his face.

The Light Bots gathered to wish their creator well before his ambulance took off, along with others that carried the remaining human survivors.

..

..

In the days to come, things would start to return to normalcy.

Doctor Light, along with the other captive scientists, made a full recovery. They all returned to their homes to put the terrible ordeal behind them, and so did their robots.

Proto Man would regain his sight, thanks to an unidentified ally of his. He remained distrustful of his creator, whom he believed would still try to replace his unstable core, had he gone to him for repairs. He was still the same old Blues.

As for Zero, he never returned to Wily's fortress. Still wild in nature, he became a loner just like Proto Man. Wherever he was, one thing was certain: he was biding his time- for the day when Mega Man, his one truly worthy adversary, would regain his fighting spirit. Then at last, they could settle their dispute like true warriors, on the battlefield. He wouldn't care how long it would take- days, weeks, years- such a glorious moment would be worth the wait.

Zero's inhibitor band was never recovered; it was likely lost in the rubble after Zero's final shot felled the convention center. Doctor Wily would eventually make a duplicate, in case it was ever needed once more.

And of course, the mad doctor would not stay quiet for long. He would eventually come up with a new scheme and a new series of evil Robot Masters to assist him on his never-ending quest to take over the world. And Mega Man, as always, would be ready for them.

Yes, life was indeed returned to normal. But for how long? Only time would tell.

..

..

**This concludes Case File #1.**

_**Gordon_Freeman Signed Off.**_

Leaning back in his revolving chair, the old man pushed up his square eyeglasses with his fingers and rubbed his tired eyes. He looked like he had been staring at that huge computer screen for hours.

"Counselor?"

Recognizing the voice as his old and dear friend Alyx, Counselor Freeman turned in his chair to face her. Like him, she was wearing a long white robe with a black emblem on its right chest area. She had aged well; deep within her forties but with hardly a wrinkle in her soft tan skin, and her hair as black and radiant as ever.

"Catching up on that robot, I see," she smiled warmly.

The man said nothing; he was of few words, but his calm demeanor was enough to signify agreement.

"You were right about him," she mused. "He's got spunk and determination- just the kind of spirit this squad needs… Do you think he's ready?"

The older man gave her a small grin and a solemn nod.

"If you say so," she replied. Then the woman pressed the Aperture Industries emblem on her suit, which turned out to be a communicator button as well. "Iris? Call Commander Jazz; tell him we've got a new recruit for him."

..

..

**Next Level: THE REDEMPTION SQUAD**


End file.
